"RELATIONSHIPS ARE BUILT ON
recognizing and appreciating
each other's strengths."
–SUSAN GOLUBOCK
TRAINING
For Professionals, Schools & Groups
Supporting Autistic Individuals
Making Sense of Autism provides training to clinics, schools, districts, and groups that want to learn how to use The Neuro-Strengths Based Support for Autism Framework with the interventions we are currently using.
LISTEN & LEARN FROM AUTISTIC ADULTS WITH OUR MINI-COURSE:
Susan Golubock, an Autistic adult and retired Occupational Therapist, provides personal and professional insight on how to support Autistic individuals. Our mini-course, The Autistic Brain: Making Connections by Changing Your View, for parents and school professionals, provides information on making connections by changing how we perceive behaviors and providing the support autistic students need to be successful.
QUESTION:
What is it that you feel you learned from this course that you can use in your daily interaction with the autistic(s) you interact with?
"I need to be more intentional with my teaching autistic children and teach them based on both their interests and expand on what they know."
"...utilize strengths for learning;
observe and offer support
in the moment."
As professionals, we learn theory and interventions in school. Many of the interventions we learn are created by Neurotypical people and do not take into account how the Neurodiverse brain works. Then we find ourselves not progressing with goals or keeping goals because we don’t know where to go next.
The Neuro-Strengths Based Support for Autism (NSBSA) Framework changes how we look at our clients, increases our understanding of how the autistic brain sees the world and learns differently, and incorporates motivations as well as recognizes limitations so we create achievable goals.
"It has worked wonders for (client),
I have more active participation, willingness to try new activities,
and vocalizing his wants."
–SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY ASSISTANT
TRAINED IN NSBSA
Through the trainings, you will learn the following:
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How to analyze autistic non-verbal communication (behavior) from a neurological perspective, not from a psychological perspective, despite the diagnosis being listed as a psychological disorder;
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How to recognize and build on autistic strengths to achieve goals, rather than regard them as deficits simply because they are "different";
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How to set goals based on what the autistic individual needs and wants in their current environment(s), not based on perceived "deficits" identified by tests standardized on the general (non-disabled) population;
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How to employ strategies that support the autistic way of learning (how their brain works) rather than strategies based on how "typical" individuals learn or how they are most comfortable teaching;
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The importance of recognizing the importance of "peer" modeling and support in developing social skills by encouraging autistic group interactions, rather than using typical peers to model "appropriate" typical behaviors;
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How to teach skills within the context of function rather than in isolation with the assumption that these skills, once learned, will be generalized into function;
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How to incorporate the key areas of function with which most autistic individuals struggle (executive functioning, self-empowerment, self-regulation, self-awareness, self-advocacy, etc.) into every session or opportunity throughout the day, rather than as separate goals that are addressed only at specific times or days; and
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The importance of being willing to model flexibility and adapt strategies to match the needs of the autistic individual rather than encourage the autistic individual to adapt to the typical way of doing things and achieving goals.
*Each training will be customized based on length and audience